The National tribune., 1887-01-20
WHY THE PENSION BILLS GROW.
The soldier hating New York Sun saysi

divide the period OF Fl years that has since elapsed
up 10 June 80 1880. into three portions Of seven
years each. we shall end that during the fret por-
ton the disbursements on account Of pensions ng-
eregated sl75. 81, $3.50. an average in round
numbers of about SIS. 600 900 year In the second
portion the pension payments aggregated seo7, 0is-
1891, average Of about $50 500 900 year. In
the third portion they aggregated s4l0l B Si595, or
nearly S6o.0o0 900 year.
Here, then. we find that although as the war re-
oedes its survivors have been constantly decreased
in number by death. during the last OF these three
periods the cost OF pensions more than double
that Of the first period and nearly double that of
the second. IL may be said that not till amer the
first seven years succeeding the could the pen
sion list be fully made up aud put in operation.
This is true; but Ia years ought TO have been long
enough TO establish It; yet while the second period
Of seven years increased the pension expenditures
less than @ 600 in the aggregate the third period
increased them more than sos. 100000 above the
second.
II, also we consider the current fiscal year, for
which appropriations made last Spring, and
the next fiscal year. for which the House has just
passed BILL be the beginning OF fourth period,
we shall find it starting out a still higher scale;
FOR, although the disbursements likely to be
within the appropriations the fact that these last
will ayerags more than $50 600 600 each is signif-
cant.
The experience Of this country, unlike that Of all
others, is that its war pension burdens had become
vastly greater than ever D. or 20 years after the
close of the hostilities which they were based.
This fact is TO be accounted for in various ways.
The tables in Commissioner Blacks last report
show steady yearly increase in disbursements up
10 1871, through the favorable decision on pending
applications for pensions, and the adding Of names
90 the list. At that time the years disbursements
reached SS3 or, 3S3 This amount ocoasioned good
deal Of talk but il was considered hghwater mark.
The following year the payments fell of to
$50 3il, the year succeeding TO ,29O. By
1876 they had got down SOS S5 500 and two years
later 10 s26 4l5. That the natural order OF
decrease. corresponding to the experience OF all
countries.
II may be asked why, with this expenditure out
OF the way, the pension burdens still increas-
ing? The truth is that the act is not out OF
the way. Its additional estimated cost, reckoned on
ward from July l. 1885, is to be ssOOoOoOO. or s259
100000 in all. And yet there Is now a proposition
before Congress. strongly supported, TO make
another arrears act which would cost Mt least
S2l6 10000 additional. Almost more startling are
The schemes 10 greatly increase the rates OF all PEN
sions The irst great step in this direction was
taken at the last session. when Congress passed
and the President signed bill adding SO per cent.
pure grStuity, 10 more than 100000 pensions,
above the rate established on them for more than
20 years This alone win cost from 500 900 TO
S75001OO0. There IL no apparent reason why every
other pension of 500 year should not be increased
10 Sl4l and then doubled to S2ss The old standards
established long ago. being set aside. we might
have annual pension appropriation Of 500 900 600
or sl5o0O0,000 year by gradual increases. and by
making entirely new classes Of persons pension
able as during the last 10 years.
The reason why The pension bills grow
ought not to be a mystery to anybody ia
miliar with the history of the war. 1t is
something that should be anticipated by
every thinking man, for such an increase at
this time is inevitable in the very nature OF
things
Our army was made up in a different way
from that of any other Nation. 1t was COM
posed of citizens who enlisted from consider
atoms of patriotic duty. They went into
line of battle TO save the country from a ter
rible calamity, and they each made great
personal sacrifices to rescue her. They then
felt that this was every Americans solemn
duty. After the victory was won they re-
turned home 10 find the country grooming
under mountain of debt incurred to meet
the enormous expenses of the war. Form
ing as they did. the majority of the active
producers Of the Nation, a great part of the
burden of discharging this Indebtedness fell
upon them. They performed this duty with
the same patriotic earnestness that charac.
terized their service in the field.
No one thought of pensions then except
those who had been clearly and absolutely
disabled by reason of their service. Great
numbers of these even did not There ar
not a few instances where men who had &C
tually lost limbs declined at first to apply
for pensions. Hosts Of men who had sus
tanned injuries that were frequently almos
as disabling as the loss Of limb made III
application for relief, but stepped up proudly
alongside their fellow. citizens in the BATH
of life, just as during the war they had ban
daged up and concealed their hurts, and re
Joined their comrades in the line of battle
All Of us were then young, high-spirited AM
hopeful We did not want TO admit that W
needed assistance from any one-eyen Tia
country for which we had done SO much
We did not want TO admit that, manned ant
injured though We might be, we were not still
capable Of holding our own in n life struggle
We felt then, as we often did when startin
out on a long, hard march-that we Nigh
not be as strong as some of those with WHOM
we touched elbows, but that we were goin
TO keep our place in ranks to the end, com
what might.
But that was 20 years ago. Every one {
those years has aggravated and intensifie
the strains and hurts received on the marc
, and in battle. Advancing age will not b
denied. What could be concealed or Over
come at % OF 80 cannot be at As or 81
! A man who could do full days work i
1866, in spite of bullet through his shou
; der, could not in 1876 compete SO well wit
man of the same age who did not get
} bullet in his body. In 1886 the veteran
/ likely to be entirely disabled, while the ma